When Tex-Mex meets the all-American backyard cookout what do you get? It's The Queso Dog!





The hot dog is a staple of the BBQ cookout, but often overlooked for its simplicity. Well, there’s more than one way to make a dog, and with the right ingredients you can a turn a boring ol’ hot dog into the most popular protein at the party!

The Queso Dog

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Ingredients

• Hot links


• Holmes Made Marty’s Roasted Green Chile Salsa


• Kansas Flavor Bread & Butter Jalapeños


• Smoked Queso (recipe here)


• Fresh cilantro


• Hot dog buns

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Instructions

Preheat your grill for high heat (450ºF) direct grilling.

Thread a skewer thought the center of the hot link. Using a paring knife, starting at one end of the hot link, slice down to the skewer at a 45º angle to the link. Continue cutting down the hot link, one long continuous cut, so that the cut spirals down the hot link until you reach the other end of the link. Remove the skewer.

Grill the hot link until browned on all sides. The spiral cut will allow the link to open up, creating more texture and crevices for the condiments to cling to the link.

Lay the fresh cilantro inside the hot dog bun. Place the hot link on the bed of cilantro. Top the dog with the smoked queso, Holmes Made Marty’s Roasted Green Chile Salsa and Kansas Flavor Bread & Butter Jalapeños.

You might also enjoy: Easy Smoked Queso

There is a reason why the classics are classics. Sometimes quality ingredients in familiar flavor combinations are exactly what you need! This is The Classic Hot Dog.





The hot dog is a staple of the BBQ cookout, but often overlooked for its simplicity. Well, there’s more than one way to make a dog, and with the right ingredients you can a turn a boring ol’ hot dog into the most popular protein at the party!

The Classic Hot Dog

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Ingredients

• Hot dogs


• Kozlik’s Dijon Classique


• Holmes Made Dad’s Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles


• Diced yellow onion


• Hot dog buns

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Instructions

Preheat your grill for high heat (450ºF) direct grilling.

Thread a skewer thought the center of the hot dog. Using a paring knife, starting at one end of the hot dog, slice down to the skewer at a 45º angle to the dog. Continue cutting down the hot dog, one long continuous cut, so that the cut spirals down the hot dog until you reach the other end of the dog. Remove the skewer.

Grill the hot dog until browned on all sides. The spiral cut will allow the dog to open up, creating more texture and crevices for the condiments to cling to the dog.

Spread one side of the hot dog bun with the Kozlik’s Dijon Classique. Place the hot link in the bun. Sandwich the Holmes Made Dad’s Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles slices between the hot dog and bun on the other side. Top the hot dog with the diced yellow onion.

You might also enjoy: The BBQ Dog

If your dog needs more sweet and spice, let us introduce you to The BBQ Dog.





The hot dog is a staple of the BBQ cookout, but often overlooked for its simplicity. Well, there's more than one way to make a dog, and with the right ingredients you can a turn a boring ol' hot dog into the most popular protein at the party!

The BBQ Dog

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Ingredients

• Hot links


• Red onion, sliced into slabs


• Big Rick’s Chipotle Ketchup


• Kozlik’s Carolina BBQ Sauce


• Holmes Made Cowboy Candy Jalapeño Relish


• Hot dog buns

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Instructions

Preheat your grill for high heat (450ºF) direct grilling.

Thread a skewer thought the center of the hot link. Using a paring knife, starting at one end of the hot dog, slice down to the skewer at a 45º angle to the dog. Continue cutting down the hot dog, one long continuous cut, so that the cut spirals down the hot dog until you reach the other end of the dog. Remove the skewer.

Grill the hot link until browned on all sides. The spiral cut will allow the dog to open up, creating more texture and crevices for the condiments to cling to the dog.

Grill the slabs of red onion until lightly charred and slightly softened.

Spread one side of the hot dog bun with the Big Rick’s Chipotle Ketchup and the other side with Kozlik’s Carolina BBQ Sauce. Place the hot link in the bun. Top the hot link with the grilled onion rings and Holmes Made Cowboy Candy Jalapeño Relish.

You might also enjoy: The Hawaiian Dog

Sweet, salty, savory and umami. The Hawaiian Dog has got flavor for days!





The hot dog is a staple of the BBQ cookout, but often overlooked for its simplicity. Well, there's more than one way to make a dog, and with the right ingredients you can a turn a boring ol' hot dog into the most popular protein at the party!

The Hawaiian Dog

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Ingredients

• Hot dogs


• Fresh pineapple, diced


• Green onion


• Colonial Chile Crunch


• Hot dog buns

For the Luau Sauce:

• 4 parts mayonnaise


• 2 parts Kim’s Gourmet Bourbon-aki Sauce


• 1 part Sriracha

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Instructions

Preheat your grill for high heat (450ºF) direct grilling.

Thread a skewer thought the center of the hot dog. Using a paring knife, starting at one end of the hot dog, slice down to the skewer at a 45º angle to the dog. Continue cutting down the hot dog, one long continuous cut, so that the cut spirals down the hot dog until you reach the other end of the dog. Remove the skewer.

To make the Luau Sauce, combine all ingredients and mix well.

Grill the hot dog until browned on all sides. The spiral cut will allow the dog to open up, creating more texture and crevices for the condiments to cling to the dog.

Place the hot dog in a bun. Top with the diced pineapple, green onion, Colonial Chile Crunch and Luau Sauce.

 

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Chef Tom fires up the Clementi Wood Fired Oven and bakes an amazing Wood Fired Calzone, featuring scratch-made dough, mouth watering filling, cheese for days and a red sauce for dipping!

Wood Fired Calzone Recipe

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Yields 3 large calzones, 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 batch pizza dough (recipe here)


• 1 lb Italian Sausage


• 12 oz baby spinach


• 1 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta


• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced


• 1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Tuscan Steak Seasoning


• 6 slices provolone cheese


• 1 cup low moisture mozzarella, grated

For the tomato sauce:

• 2 tbsp Olitalia I Dedicati Meat Extra Virgin Olive Oil


• 1 (28 oz) can Ciao Italian Tomatoes


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1/4 tsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Salt

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Instructions

Divide the dough into three equal sized dough balls. Rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Build a fire in the Clementi Pulcinella Wood Fired Oven. Move the fire off to the left side of the deck. Add hickory wood to the fire to maintain a 450ºF temperature on the thermometer on the right side of the oven.

To make the tomato sauce, combine all ingredients in a Lodge 10” Cast Iron Skillet. Cook over low heat until reduced to desired consistency, about 20 minutes.

Brown the sausage in a Lodge 10” Cast Iron Skillet, over medium-high heat. Cook until browned and seared on the surface and the internal temperature surpasses 165ºF. Remove the sausage from the skillet, but leave behind the fat.

Place the baby spinach in the skillet with the sausage fat. Cook until wilted. Remove from the skillet.

Combine the ricotta, parsley and Cattleman’s Grill Tuscan Steak Seasoning in a bowl. Mix well.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12” wide circle.

Place 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture on one half of the dough. Leave a 1” border around the edge of the dough.

Top the ricotta with 1/3 of the cooked sausage and 1/3 of the cooked spinach. Then add two slices of provolone and 1/3 cup mozzarella.

Wet the border of the dough with a little water. Fold the naked half of the dough over the fillings. Press the dough together at the edge. Crimp and fold the dough over itself to enclose the fillings. Cut a few vents in the top of the calzone.

Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients to produce 3 calzones.

You might also enjoy: Surf n Turf Pizza

Using a floured pizza peel, transfer the calzones to the right side of the wood fired oven (opposite the fire). Close the door on the oven and let cook until browned on the fire side, about 4 minutes. Spin the calzone 180º and continue cooking until the dough is fulled browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes total (these times are estimates and can vary depending on the grill/oven your are cooking in and the size and temperature of the fire/oven).

Serve the Wood Fired Calzone with the tomato sauce on the side, for dipping.

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Chef Tom shares the Tips & Techniques required to make your very own Italian Sausage from scratch at home, then grills the Italian Sausages on the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for that wood fired flavor!

Italian Sausage

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Ingredients

• 3 lb Boston Butt Pork Shoulder


• 6 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning


• 3 tbsp roasted garlic, minced (recipe video here)


• 1/2 cup Cabernet Sauvignon red wine

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Instructions

Slice the pork into 1” thick strips. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes, along with the grinder components.

Assemble the grinder on the Ankarsrum base.

Using a 6 mm die, grind all of the pork.

Take half of the pork and place it in the refrigerator. Mix the Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning and roasted garlic into the remaining half. Grind the seasoned pork a second time.

Place the unseasoned once ground pork and the twice ground seasoned pork in the bowl of the Ankarsrum mixer. Add the red wine, as well.

Using the single wire whip (or paddle attachment of stand mixer), whip the meat over high speed until it becomes tacky and holds together, about one minute. This creates the “primary bind” and is essential in creating the sausage texture.

Package and refrigerate or freeze the sausage according to your needs.

You might also enjoy: Italian Roast Pork Shoulder

If stuffing the bulk sausage into links, prepare your natural hog casings (32mm-35mm). Soak the casings in warm water for at least 30 minutes. Discard the water and rinse the casings, inside and out.

Fill the sausage stuffer with the sausage, pressing out any air pockets.

Place the casings on the horn of the sausage stuffer.

Push the sausage to the end of the horn. Tie off the end of the sausage casing. Being to fill the casing, taking care to not overstuff, as this can cause a blowout. When all of the sausage is cased, tie off the last casing.

If preparing links, use the “pinch-pinch-twist” method (demonstrated in the video). Pinch the sausage at the desired link length, then pinch again at the end of the next link and twist the link formed in the middle. Repeat this to the end of the sausage rope. You should be twisting in the same direction every time.

Alternatively, you can simply leave the entire sausage in a coil, if you plan to cook it all at the same time.

A three pound batch of Italian Sausage with yield about 9 (1/3 lb) sausage servings.

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This week Chef Tom brings us a scratch-made Sausage Egg & Cheese Biscuit sandwich, grilled on the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill! Check out these delicious sour cream biscuits, homemade breakfast sausage patties grilled like burgers on the GrillGrates, and sunny side up eggs!

Sausage Egg & Cheese Biscuit

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4 servings

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

• 2 cups self rising flour


• 1 stick (1/2 cup) frozen butter


• 1/2 cup sour cream


• 1/2 cup whole milk


• 1 egg for egg wash, optional

For the breakfast sausage: (yields 10 servings)

• 2 1/2 lb ground pork (Boston butt, spare rib tips or already ground)


• 2 tbsp fresh sage, minced


• 2 tbsp black pepper, coarse fresh ground


• 2 tbsp Noble Saltworks Whiskey Barrel Smoked Finishing Salt


• 4 tsp Cattleman’s Grill 8 Second Ride Carne Asada Seasoning


• 1 tbsp brown sugar


• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

For the sandwich:

• 4 biscuits


• 1 lb breakfast sausage


• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated


• 4 eggs


• Killer Hogs TX Brisket Rub


• Killer Hogs Hot Sauce

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Instructions

To make the sausage, combine all sausage ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, whip the sausage over medium speed for about one minute to achieve the “primary bind.” The sausage should be tacky and hold together.

Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 425ºF.

To make the biscuits, first grate frozen butter with box grater. Mix into flour.

Add sour cream and milk. Mix with a fork until a shaggy dough starts to form.

Turn out onto a work surface. Knead until the dough holds together. Slice into 4 biscuits.

Place the biscuits on a parchment lined sheet pan. You can prepare an egg wash to brush on top of the biscuits, if desired. This will help the biscuits brown and give them a shine. Simply whisk an egg and brush on top of the biscuits.

Bake the biscuits at 425ºF until golden brown on top and bottom, about 20-30 minutes. You may want to rotate the pan from the top shelf to the bottom for even browning.

To make the sandwich, set up your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for direct grilling (diffuser or diffuser door removed) with GrillGrates in place over the fire box. Leave the temperature set at 425ºF.

Form the breakfast sausage into four (1/4 lb) patties. You may freeze the rest for later use.

Place a Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet on the right side of the main cooking surface to preheat.

Grill the sausage patties like burgers on the GrillGrates. Cook to an internal temperature of 160ºF.

While the sausage patties are grilling, crack four eggs into the skillet. Season with Killer Hogs TX Brisket Rub. Cover with a lid and cook until the whites are set, but the yolks are still liquid. Just before removing from the grill, sprinkle your cheese on top of the eggs to melt.

Split your biscuits for sandwiches. Add the grilled sausage patty, egg and cheese.

Serve the Sausage Egg & Cheese Biscuits topped with Killer Hogs Hot Sauce.

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What better way to celebrate Easter (or any holiday) than with a big skillet of cheesy, saucy, Lamb & Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells?! It's comfort food, designed for sharing, and Chef Tom is cooking it up on the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill!

Lamb & Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells

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36 shells, 12 servings

Ingredients

• 12 oz jumbo pasta shells


• Saica Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as needed


• 4 oz fontina cheese, grated


• 4 oz provolone cheese, grated


• Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning, as needed

For the filling:

• 1 lb ground lamb


• 1 lb hot Italian sausage


• 1 tbsp Code 3 spices Grunt Rub


• 1 lb spinach leaves


• 1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese


• 1/2 cup fine ground parmesan cheese


• 2 eggs, beaten

For the tomato sauce:

• 1 (28 oz) can Ciao San Marzano Tomatoes


• 1/4 cup pesto


• 1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning


• 1/4 cup heavy cream

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Instructions

Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 425ºF, set up for indirect grilling.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta, bring the water back to a boil and cook until al dente (not completely softened), about 8 minutes. Strain off the pasta. Discard the water. Place the pasta in a bowl and drizzle with about two tablespoons Saica Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Toss to coat. This will help prevent the pasta from sticking.

Place the ground lamb, Italian sausage and Code 3 spices Grunt Rub in a Lodge 10” Cast Iron Skillet. Cook the sausage over medium high heat until browned on the surface and cooked through. Scoop the sausage out of the skillet with a slotted spoon. Place the sausage in a bowl.

Pour half of the grease from the skillet into the large empty pot used to boil the pasta. Add the spinach to the pot and cook over medium heat until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove the spinach from the pot. Transfer to the strainer. Let cool before pressing the liquid out of the spinach. Mince the cooked drained spinach.

To make the tomato sauce, add the Ciao San Marzano Tomatoes, pesto and Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning to the Lodge 10” skillet used to cook the sausage. You should still have a couple of tablespoons of grease in the skillet. Bring to a simmer. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. When the sauce begins to thicken, add the heavy cream. Stir and return to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and let it sit warm.

To make the filling, add the minced spinach, ricotta and parmesan cheeses and beaten eggs to the bowl of cooked sausage. Mix well.

Fill each shell with a generous two tablespoons of the filling. You should have about stuffed shells. You will have extra pasta. It’s wise to make extra, as some will be damaged during the cooking process. Enjoy the scraps as a snack!

You might also enjoy: Braised Lamb Shanks

Divide the tomato sauce evenly between two Lodge 10” Cast Iron Skillets (or work in batches).

Divide the stuffed shells between the two skillets, nestling them into the tomato sauce. Top the shells with the grated fontina and provolone. Sprinkle more Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning on top of the cheese.

Transfer the skillets to the second shelf of the grill. Cook until the shells are fully tender and the cheese on top is melted and beginning to brown, about 45 minutes.

Remove the Lamb & Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells from the grill and serve immediately.

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Britt shares her family's classic Christmas dish: Swedish Meatballs! She puts her own spin on them by spicing up the gravy and slow-smoking them on the Yoder Smokers YS640s!

Swedish Meatballs

Recipe adapted from Beatrice Ojakangas

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Yields approximately 40 meatballs (6-8 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup soft bread crumbs


• 1 cup half and half


• 1 Tablespoon butter


• ½ cup minced sweet onion


• 1 # lean ground beef


• ½ # lean ground pork


• 1 egg


• ¼ c minced fresh parsley


• 1 ½ teaspoon salt


• ½ teaspoon ground ginger


• ½ teaspoon ground allspice


• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg


• 2 TBSP butter


• 2 TBSP AP Flour


• 2 C beef broth


• 1/4 teaspoon or more Oakridge BBQ Jah Love Jamaican Jerk Seasoning (optional)


• 1/8 cup sour cream (optional)

 
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Instructions

Take about a quarter of a fresh baguette and blitz in a blender to create soft bread crumbs.

In a large bowl of your electric mixer, soak the crumbs in half and half (about 10 minutes). Mince one half a large sweet onion and measure out one-half cup.

In a 12" Lodge cast-iron skillet over medium heat, melt one tablespoon of butter, add onion, and sautee until softened.

Stir cooked onion into bread crumb mixture. Add beef, pork, egg, parsley, salt, and spices. Beat at high speed until mixture is fluffy and light pink in color.

Preheat your Yoder Smoker YS640s to 250 degrees F.

Using a small cookie scoop, portion out and shape meatballs.

Brown meatballs in pan with two tablespoons butter, working in small batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Once browned, set aside meatballs to rest to make the gravy.

Make gravy with pan drippings by adding 2 tablespoons of flour, constantly whisking to hydrate and cook the flour. Slowly add beef broth and bring to a boil while constantly stirring. Cut the heat. As an option, add Oakridge BBQ Jah Love Seasoning and sour cream and stir until just melted through. Return the meatballs to the pan.

Place the cast iron pan with meatballs and gravy onto the top rack of the smoker, uncovered for roughly one hour. Return every 15-20 minutes during that hour to gently stir and redistribute the meatballs with the gravy, allowing for the smoke to adhere to more than just the surface. Once the meatballs temp around 160 degrees, they are ready to serve immediately.

 

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Scratch-made comfort food that is made with love and care is a hard thing to pass up. This week we bring you Biscuits & Gravy, featuring all scratch-made breakfast sausage, ground from spare rib tips and pork butt, buttermilk biscuits cooked on the grill and creamy sausage gravy. Is your mouth watering yet?

Biscuits & Gravy Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Breakfast Sausage:

• 2 1/2 lb ground pork (we used 80% spare rib tips and 20% fat cap from the Boston butt)


• 2 tbsp fresh sage, minced


• 2 tbsp black pepper, coarse fresh ground


• 2 tbsp Noble Saltworks Whiskey Barrel Smoked Finishing Salt


• 4 tsp Cattleman’s Grill 8 Second Ride Carne Asada Seasoning


• 1 tbsp brown sugar


• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

For the Buttermilk Biscuits:

• 2 cups self rising flour


• 1 tsp sugar


• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen


• 1 cup buttermilk


• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (for brushing)


• Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-Tip Seasoning

For the Gravy:

• 1 1/4 lb sausage


• 1/4 cup butter


• 1/3 cup flour


• 4 cups whole milk


• Oakridge BBQ SPOGOS Seasoning

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Instructions

To make the Breakfast Sausage, set up the Ankarsrum Mixer with the Meat Grinder Attachment and grind the pork using a medium sized die while the meat is very cold. Add all of the seasonings to the pork and quickly mix. Grind the ground pork mixture again. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat the mixture on medium until the sausage holds together well and becomes tacky to the touch. Transfer the sausage to a storage container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640 Pellet Grill to 425ºF set up for indirect grilling.

You might also enjoy: Chorizo Breakfast Burrito

To make the Buttermilk Biscuits, combine the flour and sugar in a medium mixing bowl and whisk well.

Grate the frozen butter with a box grater, using the larger sized grate.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients. Quickly toss the butter in the dry ingredients to coat and distribute evenly. Using a fork, form a well in the center of the mixture. Pour the buttermilk into the well. Mix the butter milk into the flour and butter with a fork until the dough starts to clump together. Dump the mixture out onto a floured work surface. Knead and press into a square. Cut the square into quarters. Stack the quarters. Press down and roll out into a rectangle. Cut the biscuits into 6 equal sized squares. Brush with melted butter. Bake at 450 until cooked through and browning around the edges, about 25 minutes.

To make the gravy, brown the sausage in a Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet. Remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside. Add the butter to the skillet and let melt. Add the flour and stir constantly until the flour puts off an nutty aroma and has just slightly darkened in color. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly until all 4 cups are incorporated. Add a shake of Oakridge BBQ SPOGOS Seasoning (a little at first, then taste and adjust). Add the browned sausage back to the skillet. Let the gravy simmer until it reaches your desire consistency.

Serve the Biscuits topped with the Sausage Gravy.